What Are The Best Exercises To Sculpt The Muscles Instead Of Bulking Them?

“What are the best exercises to sculpt the muscles instead of bulking them?”

Answered by Edwina Cheer:

The specific answer to this question depends on a few factors:

Your gender

Your current fitness level

The amount of lean muscular tissue you already possess.

Generally speaking though, whether you are a seasoned lifter or just starting out, squats and deadlifts are great go-to compound movements that use the whole body. These two exercises are perfect for overall conditioning (read sculpting) and strength. Additionally complete body movements like a reverse lunge and chest or shoulder press using dumbbells or cables are good choices when done correctly. Depending on the factors listed above, I would start with these exercises and play around with weight and rep range to find your sweet spot.

This sweet spot will probably change as you develop consistency in training. With any degree of consistency and the right fuel (diet), you’ll be surprised how fast your strength will improve and you’ll need to make modifications.

I’m going to assume you it’s a female asking this question, because males generally want to be bigger and generally couldn’t care less about bulkiness. In my years of training females, I’m going to advise you to lift heavier than you think you can. Stay away from the 3lbs and 5lbs dumbbells. It’s hard for females to put on muscle, trust me. As a general rule of thumb, for my ladies, lift one range up than what you’re comfortable with and work from there. You’re stronger than you think. Be bold!